New Moroccan foreign minister keen on Maghreb union

The Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Saadeddine Othmani Rabat – Lahoucin Idressi The Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Saadeddine Othmani said on  Monday in Rabat that Moroccan diplomacy needed a new impetus in order to keep up with regional and global developments.
Othmani emphasized, during a press conference held with Arab and African ambassadors to Morocco, the need to strengthen the bonds of foreign Moroccan relations, with accordance to a methodology which starts with the Arab Maghreb circle, widening to include Arab Muslim world, the African continent, then finally expanding to cooperation with various peoples around the globe.  
He further stressed on the importance of activating the Moroccan diplomacy, stating that Moroccan relations are to be “balanced with the preservation, promotion and enlargement of traditional partnerships,” promising that Morocco will remain faithful to its commitments and ratified international agreements.
On the Moroccan relations with the African Union, the minister said that Morocco “is not a member of the Union, but it has not left Africa as evidenced by its cooperation and its initiatives with regard to African countries.”
Regarding the Moroccan-Algerian relations, he said the kingdom “will do everything possible to raise the level of the Maghreb relations, particularly with Algeria.”
Concerning the Moroccan-Spanish relations, Othmani pointed out that these ties are based on particular foundations due to the geographical proximity of the two kingdoms, calling for preserving the bonds of cooperation and friendship, and fostering these links in various areas.
He highlighted the importance of giving priority in these relations to issues of common interest, to work towards further strengthening them and to open a dialogue on all matters.
Othmani noted that his ministry, keen on defending all Moroccan citizens wherever they are, has taken steps to ensure the follow-up of the Moroccans detained in Iraq, while pursuing more closely the situation of Moroccans in Arab countries that have been rocked by unrest.
During his meeting with the Arab and African ambassadors in Rabat, Othmani called for deepening relations between Morocco and these countries, particularly at the economic and cultural levels.